A woman who seemed fit and healthy "turned into a human statue" after an undiagnosed disorder was triggered by a football injury.
Artist Megan King has needed 37 operations since she jumped to catch a ball and landed badly on September 21, 2005, when she was a teenager.
Today the 33-year-old can no longer twist and bend her spine or move her head and struggles to walk.
From the day the injury occurred, it took ten painful and frustrating years for Meghan to be diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos (EDS), a genetic connective tissue disorder that impacts collagen.
Collagen is a protein produced by your body and plays an essential role in the structure of the body. Faulty collagen can lead to a large variety of symptoms including muscle tears, joint dislocation, heart issues and pooling blood.
"When collagen is faulty it can cause an array of symptoms because collagen is like the foundation to a house. If the foundation is weak the house can fall apart," said Megan.
"Faulty collagen can lead to muscle, tendon, ligament tears, joint dislocations, subluxations, widespread pain, digestive issues, blood pooling, heart issues and a multitude of comorbidities. There is no cure at this time. Symptoms and conditions are treated as needed."
Although Megan has had the disorder since birth, she says it "woke up" when she injured herself during the football match.
Her previously unknown weak tissue in her body ripped, causing sever severe damage and pain.
Initially doctors thought Megan had only hurt her ankle, however, she had actually injured her right ankle, knee and hip. She also ended up damaging her left arm and shoulder blade from using crutches for 16 months.
Megan, from Illinois in the US, says her once "very strong athletic body" had helped keep her EDS symptoms at bay, but when the injury left her unable to exercise it allowed the disorder to take over and her condition worsened.
For ten years doctors struggled to diagnose her, with many suggesting it was psychological.
"The number of times I was told, "You're depressed...You're being a dramatic teenage girl...There's nothing wrong with you...You're hurting yourself on purpose...This is all in your head" is outrageous. The mental mind games were brutal."
During this time she underwent failed surgeries that didn't stop the pain and made her even less mobile.
Finally she was diagnosed with EDS in 2015
"A diagnosis was the most validating thing on the planet. I had a reason why my body literally fell apart and some surgeries were failing."
Doctors realised her muscles had torn off her shoulder blades, the cartilage in her shoulders had ripped, her joints were dislocating and her entire spine was severely unstable.
Megan's first spinal surgery in 2016 included the fitting of a halo brace, a C3-T2 fusion and a skull-C5 fusion.
She has since had several more spinal and skull fusions for stabilisation and a broken neck. She has also had two spinal fusions reversed, five leg surgeries and a total of 22 surgeries on her shoulder blades.
Although spinal fusions are not uncommon, fusions from the skull to the pelvis are incredibly rare. Only 10 people worldwide are fused in this manner.
To make matters much worse, Megan underwent a traumatic ordeal in 2020 when she was attacked by a loose dog while on a walk with her leashed dog, just eight months after a receiving a spine and pelvis fusion.
She said: "During the attack, I tried to get away with my 70-pound dog by 'twisting' to the right while pulling him.
"Since my spine doesn't move, I can't actually twist. The rods [in my back] snapped from repeatedly pulling and "twisting".
Screws in a joint also loosened. She was rushed to hospital in an ambulance and later underwent surgery to correct the issues.
"Unfortunately, I've had lasting damage to my sciatic nerves," Meghan said. "I have severe lower back pain and trouble walking.
"The nerve pain I experience in my legs burns like crazy. I walk with a limp and can't walk far due to severe pain."
A wheelchair made especially with her in mind has been a huge help, said Megan, adding: "My wheelchair opened up my world," she said.
She says her shoulders and spine are her "biggest limitation" these days.
"My shoulders and shoulder blades have had surgeries to stabilize them but I lost full mobility. I'm fused from my skull to my pelvis. I can't move my head to look up, down, left or right.
"For one to have spinal fusion hardware from their skull all the way into their pelvis is very rare. It makes 'I am titanium' have a whole new literal meaning."
"It can be difficult for many to understand that there is truly zero spine motion.
"I can't curl into a ball when I have a stomach-ache. I'm like a statue. My torso doesn't move, only my arms and legs."
Megan shared some advice for those suffering and in pain.
"I just want to emphasize how important it is to advocate for yourself," she said.
"By nature I'm quiet and I'm very shy. The thought of having to stand up for myself or suggest an idea to the doctors who went to medical school was horrifying to me.
"You know your body best. You know what you've been experiencing. Learn as much as you can. The hours of research I've done are endless.
"When my doctors didn't know what was wrong I figured then I may as well try to help. Learning the language of medicine and being able to communicate with my doctors made a big difference.
"When I think back on what I've been through, it's scary to think where I'd be if I hadn't spoken up."
She also encouraged people not to let pain stop them from living life.
"With pain, there are a lot of times I don't want to go out. Then it dawned on me that I'm either going to hurt at home or I'm going to hurt while having fun going to a movie or out to a restaurant.
"I think finding a healthy balance of being able to get out and about with pain is important to living your life. Don't put on a cap on what you're able to achieve. Attainable goals go far."
To follow Megan's story, visit her Instagram @thetravelinghaloofhope.
